Abstract
This study is the first to examine the increased apoptosis in the adult rat ovary after lactational exposure to coumestrol (COU), a potent phytoestrogen. Lactating dams were gavaged at doses of 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg COU during the lactation period and the reproductive effects of female pups were investigated in young adults. Rats were sacrificed at postnatal days (PND) 81-84. Ovarian weights were reduced significantly at 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg COU. The reduction in the ovarian weight occurred in parallel with an increase in the apoptosis at PND 135-140. A marked dose-dependent increase in the expressions of active caspase-3 and -7 was observed in ovarian granulosa cells. Immunostaining for active caspase-3 and the TUNEL staining of apoptotic cells were also increased in ovaries exposed to COU in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest new sights into the effect of lactational exposure to COU on the female reproductive health.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 601-608 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Archives of Toxicology |
Volume | 83 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Caspase-3
- Coumestrol
- Lactational exposure
- Ovarian apoptosis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Toxicology
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis